Amherst Railway Society

November 16, 2010
Meeting Announcement

The next meeting of the Amherst Railway Society will be 8 pm Tuesday, November 16, 2010, at the Amherst Regional Middle School Auditorium.

"New York City Subways and Trolleys Part II" by Richard J. Solomon

Mr. Solomon, a former urban planner, has been interested in trains since he was a teenager.

His railroad pictures that he took as an adult have appeared in several road publications.

Tonight's slides will be selected from the pictures he took of New York transit and trolleys in various cities while he was a teenager (1954-1962).

Richard J. Solomon

Currently Mr. Solomon designs electronic cameras, teaches at the University of Penn. and is the chief scientist on a project to prototype a full-spectrum imaging sensor, spectrometer, and full-spectrum display.

At U. Penn, Mr. Solomon was Senior Scientist from 1998-2003 studying the interfaces between super high-speed networking, electronic imaging, and the human perceptual system, working with Prof. David Farber at the Moore School of Engineering.

From 1990-1997 Mr. Solomon was Associate Director of the Research Program on Communications Policy (RPCP) at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Center for Technology, Policy and Industrial Development.

As a principal at RPCP, he was instrumental in the creation of the MIT/Polaroid/Philips 720P/60 camera under a contract with NASA and DARPA (the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency).

A camera that captures remote images without the artifacts or imperfections commonly found in off the self consumer HDTV

During 1976-1980, he was a Fellow at Harvard University with the Program on Information Resources Policy, where he researched regulatory and technology issues in telecom and transportation.

From 1973-1975 he was a staff associate at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst in the Dept. of Civil Engineering.

Mr. Solomon is the co-author of The Gordian Knot: Gridlock on the Information Highway (MIT Press 1997) and holds 12 patents and patents pending on telecommunications, computer, Internet protocols and applications, and imaging devices

From the Treasurer

All donations to the Amherst Railway Society may be tax deductible. As Amherst Railway Society Inc. is a 501 C(3) tax exempt organization, your donations (of either cash and/or property) may be deducted on your Schedule A, Form 1040 of your Federal income tax. Consider the Amherst Railway Society in your estate planning. Your gifts can be restricted or non-restricted (you can pre-determine how you want your donation used). Upon request, and proper documentation of course, the Treasurer will issue you a letter to be used as justification for you tax deductions

From the Clerk

If your mailing label says “EXPIRED” your membership has expired. Now is the time to renew. The rates are: Free for Full Time students, 1 year for $20, 3 years for $50 and 5 years for $80

Student memberships require the name of the school, and the class/year in addition to the student contact information

Upcoming Amherst Railway Society Programs (subject to change)

January 18

“Holyoke Railroads” by Ira Laby

March 15

Members night, each person will be limited to 10 minutes and 15 slides. Contact Tom Laware Sr.

April 19

“F40 Historical Society” by Rowan C. de la Barre,

May 17

“Lining Towers: Precision Surveying in the Construction of the Hoosac Tunnel" by Jerry Kelley

June 21

Annual Business meeting, and silent auction

Attendance this year

(September 2010) New Age of New England Railroading " by Kevin Burkholder (94)

(October 2010) Railroading Along the Thames River in Conn by Tom Nanos (88)

Message from the Trip Committee

Tickets Now On Sale for Fourth Annual 'Steam in the Snow'
Photo Special on the Conway Scenic Railroad January 2, 2011!

Mass Bay RRE is pleased to announce the return of its popular 'Steam in the Snow' photographers' special excursion train on the Conway Scenic Railroad on Sunday, January 2, 2011. This unique event features multiple photo stops and runbys starring Conway Scenic's 0-6-0 steam locomotive 7470 (built by the Grand Trunk Railroad in 1921) in the lead.

The train will depart from the landmark CSRR North Conway station at 10:30 AM. At Notchland the 7470 will run around the train to lead us back through Sawyers River, Bartlett, Glen Ellis and Woodland Pines to North Conway, with a scheduled return around 3:50 PM, including a "second arrival" at North Conway for photographers.

The train will consist of the dome car "Dorthea Mae", first-class cars "Carroll P. Reed" and "Gertrude Emma" and up to three coaches, depending on demand. A limited number of deluxe seats are available (for a supplemental fare) in the dome section of the "Dorthea Mae" and in the parlor-observation car "Gertrude Emma", which will be at the rear of the train on the return trip. Members will receive discounted fares and preferred seating in the first-class cars.

Mass Bay RRE will also operate a connecting van or motor coach service from Boston, leaving South Station at 7:00 AM, the Anderson RTC in Woburn at 7:15 AM, and the park-and-ride lot at Exit 3 in Portsmouth, NH, at 7:50 AM and offering a guaranteed connection with our train at North Conway. The coach will leave North Conway shortly after the train's arrival and will return to Boston around 7:30 PM.

Message from the Amherst Belt Lines:

‘Tis the Season!

November already! This means that Thanksgiving is just around the corner as are the

December holidays…and the Amherst Railway Society Railroad Hobby Show can't be far away!

The Belt Lines has already started the 2010-2011 Show Season in Pepperell, MA. We have more shows coming up, so please see the schedule below for dates.

The Belt Lines attends a variety of types and sizes of shows. Each show is unique and offers different benefits to those in attendance. For instance, the Bedford Boomer's Exhibition in early November is a "display only" show – no vendors on the property anywhere! While many of us go to shows to sniff out the best deal, it is refreshing to go to a show just to look and get ideas. For those with young children (of all ages) it is also refreshing to not have to hear “I want, I want, I want!” (Now if only I would stop doing that!) The HUB Division of the NMRA puts on a great two-day show at the beginning of December – just in time to make out your wish list! And of course, there is no equal to our own Railroad Hobby Show in January -ask John Sacerdote, he'll tell you the same thing! We'll leave the rest for another newsletter.

If you want to attend any of these shows with the Belt Lines – to help out with setup and operation, or any aspect of the show – let Clark, Alan or Sudro know and we will get you more details on any show. Drop us an email at AmherstBeltLines@AmherstRail.org, all three of us will get it. Remember, you don't need a module to come to the show!

Alan is trying to get the Modular Mumblings back on track after being derailed for most of this year. There should be a couple of issues coming out shortly with more details about past and future shows. Help is always needed in West Springfield to set up and run the layout, so please let us know if you are interested in helping with the layout, or even interested in building a module.

Until next time…Modular Railroading is FUN!

Show Schedule Update

The Belt Lines attends about six shows per year from September through April. If you would like to mark your calendars for shows we will be attending, here are the dates for the 2010 – 2011 Season:

Message from the Show Director:

We continue to need more volunteers each year as the Show grows. Volunteers are extremely important to us as they are the “behind the scenes” folks that make the Show happen. This year, volunteers will be assigned specific duties at specific times. We will be changing the volunteer form to reflect that. This way, you will know what to expect and how long you will “be on duty,” leaving plenty of time to check out exhibitors as they set up!

John Sacerdote, Show Director

to Volunteer for the

Amherst Railway Society
2011 Railroad Hobby Show

We need volunteers who are serious about helping with the Largest Show in North America! Please sign up using the form that will be available here in a few days:
Please click here to complete this form and return to us ASAP.

All Volunteers are eligible for FREE PARKING!!

Available Jobs Include:

THURSDAY JOBS AVAILABLE (Show Set-up)

Signs, including table numbers (mostly in the am)

Tables and chair set-up and placement (all day long; coordinate with Boy Scouts in evening)

For more information or to return this form, contact:

John Sacerdote, Show Director at showdirector@amherstrail.orgor call the show office at 413-267-4555
or send your form to: Amherst Railway Society
P.O. Box 247
Monson, MA 01057-0247
or just bring your completed form to the Next Meeting!!!